Anthony West Drops Out Of MotoGP Due To Lack Of Funds

MotoGP is a tangled web of sponsorship and funding, and many teams
ask riders to bring their own money in order to find a seat.
Anthony West learned that lesson all too well, as he recently
announced that his deal with Speed Master for a spot in the
championship had fallen through.
West was announced as a CRT rider for Speed Master in the new
season, but the onus was on him to provide funding. However, the
rider took to his Facebook page to announce that despite his best
efforts, it wasn't going to happen.
"I will not race in MotoGP this year or any other race because I
can not find sponsorship to pay the Speed Master team," West wrote.
"Because all teams are asking for money from the riders, only the
rich can race in MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3. I cannot even afford to ride a
year for free as I have yet to be paid from my former team, the MZ
Germany Moto2 team. I had my car, motocross bike and my house for
sale trying to keep the ride and even gave the house as a guarantee
if I did not find the money, but was not enough. I will most likely
not race any more and will return back to Australia to find a
normal job. Sorry to my fans."
The announcement likely means that the MotoGP field is now down to
20 bikes, unless Speed Master finds a rider with money to replace
West.